Billfold



y 1937. c. D. DOWNES 7 2,078,935

B ILLFOLD Filed. Feb. 24, 1955 INVEN TOR.

flaw? 32014466 A TTORN E YS.

Patented May 4, 1937 UN! T E D STATES FATE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a bill fold and has for onezof its-objects the provision of a bill fold (which will be compact and yet -one which will ihOllSG a 'sufiicie'ntl-y large number of bills and lit "5 Within :a 1 small pocket or *occupy a minimum amount Jof space Within a 1adys handbag.

Another object of the invention is the provisionofiawbill 'fold which may be of simple form and I'inexpensive to construct.

*Another obj'ect of the invention is the provi- 551011 01 arbiIIifOId fOImGG from two parts secured itogether:inan interlocking relation without the ausegof stitching, adhesive, or'other binding means but which depend upon the slotting and shaping of the parts for retaining their desired relaition.

pAno'ther =obj'ect: of the invention is the provisionvtof iparts which may belaid out upon a flat "sheet'of stock with the minimum amount of =-Waste udf J the stock. in :the cutting and formation cofitheapartsi :Anothereobject of =the invention is the provi- SiOlflfOf azconstruction,:whichwhen in assembled rrelati-onsaffords :a: strap through which a belt or likeipartimayibeinserted to holdthe bill fold in :position and secureiitgag ainst dislodgment.

. 'cAnotheriobjectofithednvention is the proviiSiOIP'Of ;a s constructionifrom "which bills will not iaccidentally drop -routgbut which will require the 30 bills to be withdrawnubyipulling on the bill or ibillsawith-one'hand while the other hand holds ithe bill sfoldziand'ith'e Lremainder of the bills to be I retained therein.

wAwfurthertobjectofthe invention is the provir'sion o'fia billi "holdmg.Idevice which will beslightoz) ly=expans1ble 1n order'that a varying number of :bills may I be :included therein.

With'theseaand othervobjects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of rconstruction, as'will be morefully describecLand ,particularlyypointed out. in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the bill foldas- *sembled with its parts :in unfolded relation.

' 2isvaperspective'view of the body part of the-:bill fold.

3is -a. perspectiveview of the flap andstrap portionsof the billrfold. 1

Fig- 4 ism-perspective view of the bill fold in 5 foldedlposition showing one sidethereof.

V-Fi-g. M is a perspective view of the bill fold "shown int-Fig. 4 showing the oppositeside thereof.

, Fig.6 is .a section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section on linel-l of Fig. 5.

Both of these Figures 6 and 7 show'the parts in greater expanded relation to better show-their construction.

Fig. :8 is a perspective -.view illustrating the manner of inserting bills into'thebill fold.

Fig. 9 is'a perspective View. illustrating the bill folcl as -mounted upona womans hose suppo'rter. "Fig. 10 :is an "elevational View of the :device mounted upon the belt of :the wearer. I

'In the last two .figures the foldable flaps-are "toward the bodyito :preventtheir being: accidently opened.

' Frequently bill Jfclds aremade up 'froma plu- :rality o'fnpieces of materialsewed together which construction is 1 expensive, and which construc- "tion forms a ratherzbulkyfolevice to beparried about in the :pocket,-and:in:order to simplify". the construction :of azbilllfold, and yet .provideone which has all :of the advantages rof protecting: and retaining the bills in position I :have so :shape'd rand out two pieces of material that they may be interlocked one 'withithe totherand 'foldedito pprovide the desiredretaining :and ;protecting :means ;as "well as provide a convenient rmountingi'for the billifoldlupon the;person of the-wearfer, and the following isra detailed description 0f the present embodiment of :this invention illus- "trating thepreferred :meansby which these tad- Vantageous results :may be accomplished.

A bodyportion designated! is cutoutof some suitable sheetmaterial such as leather or leatherette in generally: rectangular Eform. This :body "portion when finished wilLbefolded along lines .21 and 28 to provide a middle or intermediate .section'and two end sections, and the middlezsec- -:tion willibe provided with slots l2 and i3 atsubstantially the'center thereof and adjacent its opposite longitudinal edges. The slots 12 and l;3-.each haVe-a'tab Mextending from the outer "edge of the slot inwardly, which tab sis-formed by cutting out the'stock-in theshape-shownin 2, thistab extendingxinto'the body portion along the edge-i5 as thereshown whichtab-is for interlocking with another part-to beipresent- .lydescribed. I V i V The strap and flap portions are formedin one piece as shown in Figs 3 and also cut out from a single piece of sheet stock. This one piece formation includes a strap part 1.6 With flap portions H and 18 at either end-thereof. The

strap portion I6 is narrowerthan the flap portions vwhereby shoulders l9 and 20 are formed at the juncturevof the strap-l6 with theflaps ii! and i8. At theends ofthe ,strapor at ,a

point closely adjacent the shoulders l9 and "20* slits 2l and 22 are formed for the reception of the tabs It, as will be presently described. The

flap I! is formed with a slot 23 while the flap I8 is provided with notches 24 providing head por- 5 tion 25 and a neck portion 26 between the notches, which neck portion may lodge in the slot 23 in the interlocking of the flaps for retaining of the bills in place.

To assemble the two parts illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 the portions of one of the flaps such as l8 which extend widthwise beyond the strap I I6 will be folded inwardly upon itself and this folded end passed through the slot l3 thence carried along the outside of the middle section of the body portion H and through the slot 12 whereby the flaps may be folded inwardly toward each other as shown in Figure 1, the members and the folds of the members being disposed at right angles to each other. The slits 2| and 20 22 are so located that they will be disposed substantially at the slots l2 and I3, and the tabs I4 will extend through the slits 2| and 22 as illustrated in Figure 6 to lock the member in position and the strap against movement along 25 the back of the body.

The flaps I! and I8 are interlocked by the edges of the head 25 being folded inwardly and this head passed through the opening 23 in the flap I! after which these folded edges may expand and the neck portion 26 be lodged in the slot 23 with the wider head portion 25 extending at either side thereof and preventing withdrawal of the head through the slot as illustrated in Figures 1 and 8. The two parts of the bill fold are thus in assembled position and the body portion will be folded along lines 21 and 28 to cause the sections or cover portions 29 and 30 to overlie each other and also overlie the flaps and middle section and completely house any bills inserted therein.

For the insertion of bills it is found that it is unnecessary to unlock the flaps I! and IB, it being merely necessary to slightly arc the bill fold laterally as shown in Figure 8 and pass the bills inwardly endwise beneath the flaps l1 and Hi. It is also pointed out that the arcing of the bill fold in this manner serves to throw open the cover sections 29 and 30 which overlie the flaps when the device is in folded position.

The cover portions 29 and 3|] also tend to have somewhat of an opening effect due to the inherent resiliency of this stock being folded along the lines 21 and 28 and as these cover portions tend to open they will exert a slight amount of pressure upon any pocket or the like in which the device is inserted tending to friction thereagainst and prevent movement of the bill fold from the pocket, this pressure being obtained by reason of the absence of any fastening device which also provides a more readily expansible unit to accommodate varying amounts of bills.

The strap portion l6 which extends along the back of the body member may be utilized to advantage for positioning a belt 3| through the strap l6 with the cover sections 29 and 30 positioned inwardly toward the body to prevent opening of the same, it being experienced by golf players many times that this is an advantageous way of carrying money as it is not desired to carry the same in the pocket which may interfere with the play of the game.

This strap may also be utilized by women for mounting the bill fold upon a hose supporter 32 by passing the same through the strap portion IS with the folds 29 and 30 inwardly toward the leg to prevent the same from opening and to thus secure the device in position. If additional security against opening is desired a rubber band 38 may be positioned about the device which band also assists in mounting of the device in position as illustrated in Figure 9 as it holds the same diagonally and prevents swinging about the hose supporter making an exact fit of the strap l6 and hose supporter unnecessary.

The slots 24 and the slot 23 are of such dimension that a suflicient amount of play is afforded thus giving expansion to the flaps and allowing various numbers of bills to be inserted in the bill fold without binding. There is, however, sufficient friction between the bills and the interlocked flaps l! and H3 so that the bill fold may be grasped in one hand and shaken vigorously without dislodging the bills from position although this action is not ordinarily experienced in use.

The flaps I7 and I8 are of a width to cover substantially one third of the bill making a sufiicient amount of covering to securely maintain the bill or bills therein. These flaps also stiffen the middle section of the body and act as a form for the bill fold defining a line of fold for the cover sections 29 and 30.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of the general character described comprising two sheet stock members each having one dimension longer than the other, said members being generally right angularly disposed, one of said members being provided with slots and the other member having a portion of a width substantially the length of said slots and extending through the slots and having enlargements at points beyond said slots to hold the members in assembled relation, each of said members being folded upon itself at two spaced points providing an intermediate section and two end sections, the intermediate sections of said members overlying and said end sect-ions overlying the intermediate sections when in folded position.

2. An article of the general character described comprising two sheet stock members each having one dimension longer than the other, said members being generally right angularly disposed,

one of said members being provided with slots adjacent its opposite edges and the other member having a portion of awidthsubstantiallythelength of said slots and extending through the slots and having enlargements at points beyond said slots to hold the members in assembled relation, the portion extending between said slots providing a strap by which the device may be secured in place.

3. An article of the general character described comprising a body folded to provide a middle section and two end sections, said end sections being foldable one over the other and both over said middle section, flap portions extending laterally of the body at generally right angles thereto, a strap for securing said flap portions together, and means for securing said flap portions and middle section together comprising slits in the middle section with the strap extending therethrough, said fiat portions providing enlargements at points beyond said slits to prevent longitudinal sliding of the strap.

4. In an article of the general character described comprising a body folded to provide a plurality of sections, one of said sections having slots adjacent its edges, a strap extending over the outer surface of said slotted section with its ends extending through said slots and shoulders provided at the end of said strap to engage the material about the slot to lock the samein position.

5. In an article of the general character described comprising a body folded to provide a plurality of sections, one of said sections having 5 slots adjacent its edges, a strap extending over the outer surface of said slotted section with its ends extending through said slots, and flaps integral with the ends of said strap of a width wider than said slot forming shoulders to engage the 20 stock about said slot, said flaps being foldable inwardly over the inner surface of said section.

6. In an article of the general character described comprising a body folded to provide a plurality of sections, one of said sections having 26 slots adjacent its edges; a strap extending over the outer surface of said slotted section with its ends extending through said slots, said strap being provided with slits adjacent said slot and tabs on said section extending through said slits to secure said strap in position.

7. An article of the general character described comprising two separate right angularly arranged elongated sheet stock members with portions of one overlying portions of the other, means for assembling said members together comprising slots in one member through which the other member passes to provide interlocking engagement between them, said slots and member passing through them being of such relative size as to prevent lateral movement of the member in said slot, means forming an integral part of one of said members engaging and cooperating with a means forming a part of the other member to prevent the longitudinal sliding of one member through the slots in the other member, each of said members being folded upon itself to provide a plurality of overlying sections with the sections of one member overlying the sections of the other member and with the line of fold of one member being at right angles to the line of fold of the other member.

CHARLES D. DOWNES. 

